Portable, High Performance, Computing Options? 45
Mostly a lurker asks: "I am a consultant with a need for a high performance machine (fast I/O and minimum 1GB RAM, perhaps more) with which I sometimes travel. I am willing to accept anything up to a 20lb traveling weight, but it must be compact enough to take by air. I would obviously welcome something that does not break the bank.
Right now, the best I can come up with is something built around the Shuttle SB51G XPC with a separate LCD monitor and keyboard. It is really frustrating at the apparent lack of good alternatives. If I could wait six months then, the best desknotes would probably fit the bill (with the new IBM 7200 RPM drives). Today's desknotes fall short on I/O performance, and I would not be able to push RAM past 1GB. The lunchbox computers that qualify for air travel are mostly expensive rubbish, unless one's main concern is ruggedization. All-in-one computers like the IBM NetVista, Gateway Profile and ECS Aio's also seem to fall short.
So, am I totally missing another great option? Have I mis-evaluated one of the options above?
If I go the Shuttle XPC route, is there a really good light (and, equally important, compact) LCD monitor out there that someone wants to recommend [15" minimum, 17" would be nice, 30ms refresh or better, XGA acceptable, SXGA nice]? Thanks."
Look for a laptop (Score:2, Informative)
Alienware (Score:1)
Don't expect much battery life.
Re:Alienware (Score:1)
Two laptops (Score:1)
You mentioned the need for 1G of RAM - which means you are developing Java applications that will be run on a WebSphere etc... appserver, developed in VisualAge for Java and running it all on one box, you are doing MASSIVE 3d solid models in SolidWorks / Inventor, or you are just blowing smoke and don't really need 1G of RAM.
A Dell M50 is going to run you $4k with a 2.0GHz / 60G / 1G RAM setup
Re:Two laptops (Score:1)
Architecture? (Score:1, Insightful)
I/O: 10,000rpm is achievable with RISC based.... (Score:1, Offtopic)
Well it is Willabee,
And I've been reluctant,
To run KDE.
I'm over weight (now that's phat!),
I need Jeff Bates (that dirty rat!),
To coreograph my cousins,
Palastinian skipping routine.
No, seriously. With RISC, you are liable for kipple, but I wouldn't recomend eating Bob Saget, cause he's an exotic young virile bitch. Phew, seems I've eaten enough Luxembourgian staplers for one afternoon, it's time to build an exruciating gumnut and assault my friend Rocko.
Apologies. That wasn't me. (Score:2)
Damn. That's really annoying, I feel like an idiot.
As for the question, I think the cheapest option is a modified laptop. Maybe with a totally new case (if you want to modify), and a new motherboard. I know there are alot of "Mini-PC" solutions around that may be able to support what you need, if you could only modify one to be portable with a monitor/periphs.
some ideas.. (Score:2)
some gbox(?) named at least, and couple of others.
here's an idea, use a normal midi tower(perhaps aluminum), but have a handle on it, AND store the keyboard, smallish lcd display, mouse&etc INSIDE the case for travel.
High Performance? (Score:1)
I even had hope, as you talked about high speed I/O, but then I didn't see any mention of even 64 bit PCI slots.
Oh well.
Re:High Performance? (Score:2)
Powerbook G4 (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Powerbook G4 (Score:1)
didnt think so
Re:Powerbook G4 (Score:1)
Name a mass produced laptop that does...
I would expand on the PowerBook suggestion and tell him to add an external 7200 rpm, firewire harddrive.
small? (Score:1)
Have you looked at Dolch? (Score:4, Informative)
I used to see ads for Dolch [dolch.com] all the time when Byte was still a print magazine. I always thought they were a neat idea, since that was (pretty much) the only option if you wanted a portable computer that would take an osciloscope card.
Fast forward to present times, and you have the FlexPac [dolch.com], a P4 portable with all the bells and whistles of a "desktop". (Yes, I know the page talks about P-IIIs, but their main page references P4 FlexPacs.)
They were never cheap... but someone has to make these cases -- find their supplier! (I know, I know, that's what you're trying to do...) A nice case like Dolch is using (with an integrated LCD and keyboard) should be available for $1000 to $1500.
If that approach fails, get thee to your local yellow pages, find a metal shop that does custom work, and have them build you one. Have it painted at an autobody shop -- perhaps a nice coat of Imron (epoxy paint -- very nice, very durable... but very nasty to work with!) and some clearcoat to protect it in those overhead bins.
There are some very talented people out there, incredibly innovative and artistic, they just happen to be gearheads instead of geeks. Get to know your local machinist, you'll be surprised!
Finally, I think the MicroATX form factor gives you more options than FlexATX does, though the FlexATX case options tend to pack things closer together (and thus be much smaller). For example, MicroATX allows 4 devices (generally 3 PCI and 1 AGP) vs. FlexATX's 2, and there are a lot more cases out there for the MicroATX size. I'd swear I've seen cases that include an LCD built-in, but I don't remember where I saw them right now... and my Google skills aren't kicking in.
Don't plan for more than a years worth out of one. (Score:5, Insightful)
A Dell precision laptop (such as the M50) will hold a gig of ram, has a UXGA display, and is essentially a desktop in a laptop form factor. The price is a paltry $2.5 k (for what you're asking for) and it'll resell next year for $2 k, so you'll be 'renting' a machine for $500 for a year.
You'll want to upgrade in a year anyway, regardless of the machine you pick out now. A mid-range machine will keep its value longer than a high range machine (in the laptop world).
Please don't forget that the shuttle and other small form factor PCs almost always trade performance for size and cost. An equivilant laptop will have equal or better performance, but will keep its value, and last longer.
Lastly, desktops and desktop LCD screens are not meant for travel. If you look at the vibration specs alone you'll find that a laptop can take much more abuse than most LCDs and desktops. Trying to get a desktop machine with lcd and associated pieces through airport scanners without a lot of hassle (please turn on the computer and/or open the case of not only the computer, but the LCD and other parts which could possibly hold explosives or other lethal items). Putting it in baggage can be much worse (wear and tear, lost luggage, etc).
So, in the end, I would strongly suggest you get what will work for you now, and leave the future to deal with itself. Even if you do get a tiny PC which holds 2g of ram, you'll still want a better PC this time next year when you want a processor that doesn't fit your MB.
-Adam
Re:Don't plan for more than a years worth... (Score:1)
So the really important question is: do you really need this or would it make your life easier? What is the value to you of this convenience (the expected loss each year over the gain in your time). And can you get away with a powerful machine at home and a compromise machine for the road? (If your type of work allows it, you can even use your home machine on the road via ssh, VNC, Citrix, etc.)
To answer your question better, it would help if you explained what the work was (in general). I would recommend the top of the line Apple TiBook, which can take 1GB of RAM and (if you write your own code or are doing work that involves PhotoShop, OpenGL, etc.) you get a benefit from the AltiVec unit. It probably doesn't have the best I/O available, but it is a very reasonable performance/usability compromise. I use one for consulting and complex simulation work. The development environment (Cocoa) and MacOS X are a bonus for me--but I dual boot into GNU/Linux for some work.
Re:Don't plan for more than a years worth out of o (Score:1)
A Dell precision laptop (such as the M50) will hold a gig of ram, has a UXGA display, and is essentially a desktop in a laptop form factor. The price is a paltry $2.5 k (for what you're asking for) and it'll resell next year for $2 k, so you'll be 'renting' a machine for $500 for a year.
The main problem with this is that this person may not want to deal with trying to sell his used laptop next year. I haven't seen to many retailers who are willing to accept trade-ins so there is an added cost of disposing of the old laptop to get that $500/year figure that you threw out there.
Re:Don't plan for more than a years worth out of o (Score:1)
currently the mobile p4 goes out to 2.2ghz athlough some vedors such as alienware have laptops based on the desktop p4 that comes at the expense of battery life and thermal management issues in abig way. Most larger laptops come wth two dimm sockets so 1GB of ram is attainable in short order.
if you need more or faster disks, using the ieee1394 port to connect a large external disk seems like a reasonable approach.
Yes, but... (Score:2)
keyboard & mouse (Score:2)
If you have extra carrying capacity available, then I'd recommend you bring a full-sized keyboard and a good mouse. I'm guessing your biggest peeve with laptop PCs is they don't feel like a real machine. Add those two light and cheap peripherals and it'll feel much more solid.
Re:keyboard & mouse (Score:1)
Wireless Keyboards Cheap [yahoo.com]
Look for alternatives... (Score:2)
Check out Tadpole's SPARC notebooks, some of which used to contain SCSI disk.
There is this thing called the internet which, among other things, allows you to run hardware hungry applications on a remote server. Using it might help.
Also, be warned that in order to use a small-form factor desktop like the shuttle, you really need to ship it with bulky and heavy shipping containers. The disks and other components are not going to handle shock well.
Tadpole Laptops (Score:3, Informative)
Here's an idea (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Here's an idea (Score:2)
More info, please? (Score:2)
For a preliminary suggestion, you could try the Micro PC [tomshardware.com], which appears to barely fit your requirements for power, and is small enough to be carried gingerly onboard in a padded case. A Powerbook might also be a good solution, but that is up to your OS needs... If you didn't need windows you should already own one anyway.
But remember, whatever you get, it will be part of your image as a consultant. If you are a real techie, a custom-built box will impress. If you are an artistic type, you need a Powerbook or a Vaio, or another attractive, polished but original ultralight. If you are a pointy-haired executive who has greatly overestimated his needs, a half-sized mini vaio would be very sleek and sexy. Network guys seem to be able to get away with any type of box, the uglier the better.
What are the needs that you are attempting to satisfy? What specs would satisfy those needs? If you don't tell us that, any advice you get here will be worthless.
-C
Re:More info, please? (Score:1)
>is up to your OS needs... If you didn't need
>windows you should already own one anyway.
Even if you need windows, you can still use the Powerbook. My G4 running VirtualPC runs Win98SE fully networked to work's NT domain and net printers.
re: Don't plan for more than a years worth out of (Score:1)
A Dell precision laptop (such as the M50) will hold a gig of ram, has a UXGA display, and is essentially a desktop in a laptop form factor. The price is a paltry $2.5 k (for what you're asking for) and it'll resell next year for $2 k, so you'll be 'renting' a machine for $500 for a year.
The main problem with this is that this person may not want to deal with trying to sell his used laptop next year. I haven't seen to many retailers who are willing to accept trade-ins so there is an added cost of disposing of the old laptop to get that $500/year figure that you threw out there.
Trade in used laptop?! (Score:1)
Sell it on eBay, my friend.
Transportable computers (Score:1)
Re:Transportable computers (Score:1)
Powerbook Titanium (Score:1)
1GHz, 5.4 pounds, 3+ hours on a charge (my mileage, though Apple claims 5), reads and writes CD & DVD, firewire, Wi-Fi, bluetooth support, 56K modem, gig-ethernet, 60GB HD (4200 RPM, but they claim 26MB/sec sustained transfer max [outer edge], must be using variable sectors per track).
Not bad when you can get out the door for about $3500.
Well... (Score:2)
Grab a 1U server (Score:1)
Grab a thin LCD monitor, a nice keyboard and mouse.
To travel, pack the monitor up against the case with some nice padding between the two and away you go. Everything should fit into a small suitcase or large briefcase.
You get lots of power, but not much space is taken up. Plus, it will be much more upgradeable than a laptop ever will be. You won't be able to use it while travelling, but it won't be that difficult to travel with.
IBM ThinkPad A31 (Score:2)
Re:IBM ThinkPad A31 (Score:2)
Airport Security is an issue here! (Score:1)
Sun Solution (Score:1)
Eurocom Laptops (Score:1)
The perfect solution.... (Score:1)
1. An latop with the display you need (15" UXGA, etc, etc) - $2000?
CPU, Disk and RAM don't matter.
2. A small Compaq Evo e-PC [hp.com] with the computing power you need. - $683.00 onwards
(P4 CPU, DDR, 2 GB RAM - you can upgrade the disk).
The form factor is pretty small: 10"x10"x3.5" + a small power brick
3. A VNC server (eg: TightVNC [tightvnc.org]) on your "server"
and a VNC client on your laptop. Run the client full screen.
You can also use Windows' built in terminal server if you're runing Microsoft.
Plus you'd need some network connectivity (Wifi/Bluetooth/crossover cable) between your client and your server.
This is a client/server setup at a (comparatively) cheap price, small enough for hand luggage (airport security won't hassle you if you checked the "server" in and carried your laptop in hand baggage). Plus you can use your laptop on the flight.
If you hookup a second monitor to your "server"in the field, you can also use x2vnc [hubbe.net] (Linux) or Win2VNC [hubbe.net] (windows) to obtain a single dual-head "desktop". These programs allow you to use two screens on your two different computers as if they were connected to the same computer (single mouse and keyboard controls both and "jumps" at the screen border) You can also cut and paste between computers. Even if one is running Windows, and the other is running Linux. It's great - I use it at work in my "dual-head" XP/Linux setup.;-)